Monday, April 20, 2009

It's Monday again

Well it's Monday again, and I am back in the office. I have complained before that's it's difficult being a working mom, that I am grateful for my job, but sad I leave my family. It's the never ending struggle that afflicts so many moms today. Jude was so precious this weekend that I knew I would miss his laughs, and I am already wondering what he is doing. I have been rather busy though, so my mind has been occupied until now. I am encouraged that Jude is becoming so much more interactive with us. I only hope that the therapists can work with him more, and help him sit up. I would also love to see him reach for objects at some point. I see the potential in Jude, and I am encouraged that he has such strong legs. When we put Jude on his tummy he uses his legs to scoot around his blanket. If he can get control of his arms I am sure he will be able to maneuver himself around. The problem I am having right now is Jude's left arm is very stiff, and he still will not relax his fist. He stiffens his arm so much that I am worried if it's bumped in the wrong manner, something terrible could happen.

Jude did have a reaction last night that I have never seen before. I had placed him in the bath water in his tiny bath chair last night, and he made a grimace. I thought the water might be a little to warm, so I turned the faucet on to cool down the water a little. The water was still warm and hit Jude's foot. It scared him so bad that he nearly jumped out of his bath chair. I ripped him out of the water quickly, and held him until he stopped shaking. I felt terrible, but I was also proud that he had brain activity. I had felt the water with my hand so I knew it wasn't hot or cold, it just startled him.

So I have been feeling a bit lonely lately, and I am not sure why. It's probably my normal girl hormones messing with my mind. I tend to be over sensitive about issues sometimes, and I am working on that. Everyone has their flaws, and that is definatley mine.

I have several friends that have recently found out they are pregnant, and I am so happy for them. I had one of the soon to be moms email me her concerns regarding her pregnancy, because of what happened to me. I reassured her that I am sure she will be fine. I told her that 1 in 4000 babies suffer a stroke, so I have ALL my friends covered. She laughed, and then felt a bit more at ease. I told her to relax, and enjoy her pregnancy because it's a wonderful experience to feel a baby living inside of you. One of my best friends Sarah is also pregnant, and I am so happy for her. I know she will be an incredible mom. I have been wanting to do something for her in honor of this joyous occasion, and sat in my bed last night thinking about the proper gift. I thought I would go make a bag of items I found incredibly useful after I delivered. I am a huge fan of Johnson and Johnson's head to toe baby wash, and I thought this along with other items would be appreciated. I then started thinking about how I was so excited when I first got pregnant. I dreamt of baby clothes, maternity clothes, sweet smelling baby feet, and more, only to have my dreams shattered. I was a normal everyday mom planning a wonderful smooth pregnancy. I then sat and prayed as hard as I could that her pregnancy will be easy, and result in a perfectly healthy baby, and a smooth delivery. I know my prayers will be answered.

So each day I thought I would start leaving with you a stroke tip. Childhood strokes are fast becoming one of the top ten killers in children. Jude's stroke was in utero and there was nothing to be done, but if we can help save at least one other child by promoting stroke awareness then we will be so happy. By promoting Jude's story and blog I hope to promote awarness, and help other children

How can you avoid a stroke?
Monday tip: Feed your child healthy meals low in saturated fats and low in cholesterol. Childhood obesity is one of the causes of childhood strokes!



3 comments:

andrea said...

i am so encouraged to hear that jude is responding so well, and smiling. he is just so perfect!

Jennifer Ortiz said...

Thank you Andrea, you are always so supportive!

Katy said...

You know, you might want to look into finding a Feldenkrais practioner to work with Jude. I know that they have a PT in DFW area who also does Feldenkrais, so you can get your insurance to pay a big chunk of it. It's really helped Charlie to develop better awareness of his legs and he's also started opening up his right hand and using it more.

The big startle Jude made in the bath is called exaggerated startle response. The theory is that because kids with cp have such disorganized movements, when that startle response goes through them, their whole body responds. As long as it doesn't distress them then I say let it go on--Charlie's has lessened significant with time.